Air-valve for hydraulic jacks.



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' Patented se u 22,1908.

J W NELSON & W H MATHBBS AIR VALVE r01: HYDRAULIC mm. AIPLIOATIOH FILED MAY 23 1901 I JAMES w. NELSON AND WILLIAMH.1\!ATHERS,OF NEW YORK, AssxsNoas 'ro WILLIAM 'and VVILLIAM H. MA'ruERs,

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFioEf M. DUDGEON EXECUTOB AIR-VALVE FOfi HYDRAULIC .ucxs'.

To all whom, it may concern: Be it known that we,

citizens of the United States, and residents of New York city, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Air- Valves for Hydraulic J ac 's, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hydraulic jacks, and particularly to self-contained jacks of this class which include a reservoir from which the motive fluid is pumped into the ram or pressure chamber, to do the required work, and back to which said fluid is returned when released from'said chamber, after the work has been done and it is-desired to lower the jack, or, in other words, to corract the expanded tool for removal and subse uent operations. It is well known that t ie liquid most enerall employed in such a self-contained iydrauiic jack, in order that the device may be successfully 0per ated'in severely cold weather, is one of various compounds which are non-freezing at any ordinary temperatures. As such compounds are more or less expensive, it is of course desirable, so far as possible, to eliminate waste of the fluid, and, therefore, the reservoir should be so closed or sealed that the liquid cannot escape therefrom, and this irrespective of the position in which the device 18 used or laced. \Vhile it is desirable to thus prevent escape of the fluid, it will be apparent that it is essential to permit, of the free in ess of airth1s more particularly in view 0 the fact that as the fluid is withdrawn from said reservoir a vacuum or partial vacuum would otherwise be created within said reservoir which might seriously interfere with the proper operation of the pump valves. Furthermore,.it will be similarly apparent that as the fluid is returned from the ram or pressure chamber to said reservoir, during the operation of lowering,

rovision must be made for the escape of air i'i'om said reservoir, otherwise a pressure would be generated therein which would ultimately become sufficient to check or seriously impede the lowering or contracting operation.

This invention particularly relates to means for permitting the free ingress and James W. Scnsox' Specification of Letter. Patent. Application am May 23, 1901. Serial No. 375.245.

saine time prevent 0F RICHARD DUDGEON, DECEASED.

Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

egress of air to and from. the reservoir of a self-contained hydraulic jack and at the the escape of liquid matter therefrom. and the princi )al objects of the invention are simplicity 0 construction, dependability in operation and economy in manufacture.

Our invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure l is a central sectional elevation of the upper portion of a hydraulic jack, we having selected for the purposes of this descriptlon a well-known type of hydraulic jack in which the reservoirwithin which is also located the ump-operating means-is mounted upon tie upper .end of the ram; Fi 2 is an enlarged central section of the va ve-plug in its uncompleted state, before the insertion of the ba] -valve; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the completed lug with the ball therein and the lower edge t ie'reof turned inwardly to retain the ball in the valve chamber; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of said plug, and Fig. 5 is a bottom (plan view of said plug, showing the crimpe or corrugated end thereof.

Referringnow to the drawings in detail, numeral 11 refers to the up' er end of the ram of a ty e of hydraulic jac which we have selecte for the purposes of description and to which form we do not desire to limit our invention. This upper end of the ram is hollow, providing adapted to contain, in addition to the pumpoperating mechanism, a suitable supply of t e liquit which is to be forced by the pumps or ump into the ram or pressure chamber.

n the type of jack shown, the pump o erating mechanism comprises a plunger-r0 13, provided with a head 14 into which projects the knuckle 15 at the end of the arm 16 on the rock-shaft- 1'7. This shaft 17 is rocked by means of a lever (not shown) secured to an end of said shaft which projects beyond the'casing or wall of the jack.

The top or upper wall of the shell or casing 11 is provided with a screwthreaded aperture, adapted to be closed and sealed by the an interior chamber 12' .form illustrated in 'Fi removal'for repair or replacement of parts of the pump mechanism which have become worn or broken.

It will be noted that, partly for the purposes of safety and convenience in handling or beveled and preferably concave face l.),

andextending from that portion of this face '1!) opposite the rock-shaft 17 to the interior of the reservoir, weprovide the bore, 20.

It will be apparent that were thejack always to be. used in an upright or vertical osition, the locationof a valved-vent in the wall of the reservoir would be immaterial, so

1on as it was above the highest level of the surface of the liquid in said reservoir. When the jack is to be used in a horizontal position as well, however, this vent should obviously be located so that it will be invariably above the normal level of the liquid when the jack is in either of the two positions mentioned or any position intermediate thereof. The

pump-operating lever, which is reeiprocated to rock the shaft 17, preferably projects towards the side of the jack opposite that within which said shaft is mounted, and when used in a horizontal position, therefore, the device should be placed with said lever projecting uwvardly, for he purposeof accessibility, and when in this position the side of the ram within which the rock-shaft 1] is mounted will be underneath. it follows, therefore, that if the bore 20, which is intended to provide the vent to which we have referred, (and referring now to the position of the jack as shown in Fig. 1), is located in the upper, right-hand corner of the head 11 of the ram, the interior mouth thereof will invariably be above the normal level of the liquid in the reservoir whether the jack is used in a vertical or horizontal position.

Within the bore 20 we mount the valveplug 21. This plug 21 may obviously be secured in said bore in any one of many wellknown ways, but we prefer, as best insuring a tight joint without interfering with ready insertion, adjustment and removal, that bore and plug be provided with correspomling interior and exterior screw-threads, respectively. This plug 21 is first made in the having alon itudinal bore or passage 22 therethrouglr which is reduced in diameter near its up or end to form the valve-chamber .23 and t 1e valveseat 24. The lower end of the plug tapers to the thin circular ed e 25.

An ordinary'stcei ball 26, sli htly less in diameter than the diameter 0 the valvechamber 23, is then placed in saidchamber, and the thin end-edge 25 of said plug pinched or crimped inwardlv, as shown in F 1g. 3, to provide a gate which retains said ball within said chamber; This in-turned edge, however, being crimped or slightly corrugated,

.does not provide avalve-seat, there being always small openings for thellow of an between ball. and gate. l

' 'It will be noted that the bore 20 is diagonally disposed with reference lobotli top and side. walls of the reservoir, and, therefore, \vhether the jack is in a vertical or a horizontal position (or-any oblique position intermediate thereof). the exterior end or mouth of said bore will be above. theinterior end or mouth thereof. Consequently, the

ball 26, when under equal atmospheric pressures, will normally, under action of gravity,

seek the lowermost part of the chamber 2-5 and, therefore, rest against the gate formed by the iii-turned edge 25this gate being, as shown, at thebottom of the chamber 23 in whatever position the jack may be used. As explained, the bail does not in this position check the free passage of air into and out of the reservoir, and the air-pressure in said reservoir, therefore, during use of the jack, is maintained at all times atmospheric. The normal level of the liquid, in any position of the jack when in use, being below the interior mouth of the bore 20, no liquid can es-' cape from the reservoir. 'hen the jack is thrown or placed to one side, however, when not in use, it is practically impossible to in- 5 variably so position the vent that it will be above the level of the lit uid in the reservoir. If the interior mouth o' the bore .20, under such conditions, becomes submerged in the liquid. one of two things will happen; eithiufloo the disnosition of the bore 20 will be so changed that the action of the force of'grav- 'ity will be reversed and, augmented by the pressure of the liquid, operate to seat the )all and close the valve, or the action of gravity will be so nearly reversed that the interior pressure of the liquid will be sullioient to easily overcome the remaining resultant force in opposition thereto and drive the ball into its seat 24 and effectually seal 110,

the opening. It will be seen that in this. manner we provide a sin le and exceedingly simple valved vent, self acting withoutsprings, which is automatically operable for V t 1e pur oses intendedirrespective of the position o the tool when in or out of use.

Vle prefer to provide the top face 27 of the lug 21 with the usual groove or channel 28 or'the reception of the ordinary screw-key or screwdriver, which is employed for he pur ose of inserting and properly adjusting sait plug in and removing the same from the bore 20. l

Having thus described a device embodying our'invention, we claim as new and de- 2. A vent-passe e for the reservoir of a hydraulic jaicl: or t e like which includes a valve chamber which inclines downwardly .ilo

. 3. A vent-passage for the, reservoir of a hydraulicjackor the like, the relative direction of which is inclined to both the top and the side walls of said reservoir, said passage a providing a valve-chamber with a seatat the outer end thereof only, and a ba-ll 1n said "chamber.

j hydraulic jack or t 4. A vent-passa e for the reservoir of a lie like which includes a valve chamber inclinin downwardly from its order to its inner end botliwhen the device is in a vertical and when in an o erably horizontal position, said valve-cham er being provided with a seat at the outer end thereof only, and a ball in said chamber.

5. A reservoir for self-contained hydraulic jacks and the like havin a bore through the wall thereof which is inclined in direction to the planes of both top and side walls of said {)eservoir, and a removable valve-plug in said 6. A reservoir forself-contained hydraulic jacks and the like havin a bore through the wall thereof so relative y inclined that the exterior mouth of saidzbore is above its interior mouth both when the device is in a vertical and when in an operably horizontal osition, and a removable valve-plug in said gore.

7. Avalvc plug for the reservoir of a .hya5 draulic jack com rising a substantially cylindricalbody wit.' the longitudinal bore reduced in size at each endto provide a valve chamber having a valve seat at its outer end -.only, a ball-valve in said chamber, and 40 means for removably securing said plug in thewall of said reservoir in such position of inclination that theinner end of 581d cham- .,ber is below the outer end thereof when the device is in a vertical and when in an operably horizontal position. 8. The combination, with the reservoir of a self-contained hydraulic jack or the like,

said reservoir being provided with a passage through the wall thereof which inclines downwardly from its outer to its inner end both when the device is in a vertical and when in an operably horizontal osition, of a. plu having alongitudinalboret erethrough,

sai bore being interiorly enlar ed to form a.

valve-chamber with a seat at the outer end thereof only, a ball in said chamber, and means for removably securing and adjusting said plug in'said passage.

In testimony of the foregoing, we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES W. NELSON. WILLIAM H. MATHERS. Witnesses:

M. B. GLEN, JAS. Moonn. 

